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2018 NBA Playoffs: SEMIFINALS


Dolfan in NYC

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Good news for the Rockets: Warriors didn't blow the breaks off of them in the 3rd quarter.

Bad news: They should be up but they are down going into the 4th. Harden's shot is dead and needs to come alive.

Good news for the Warriors: Somehow leading by 1 heading into the 4th, despite turnovers and inconsistent play from some starters. Rockets will continue to take many bad three pointers.

Bad news: This is a low scoring, ugly game. Not their usually preference.

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I’m dead. 

Warriors are scared.

Get well CP3. 

Not worried about Harden. He didn’t have his shot, so why not shoot 9 free throws in the 4th or drive and kick to hot shooters? 

Harden carried us on his back. His shot will come back. He posterized Draymond and blocked a Durant shot in this game. 

Front runner Warriors don’t know how to play when it’s super tight at the end. 

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Two years ago, who would have ever believed the Rockets would take a 3-2 lead on Golden State because of playing great defense and forcing the Dubs out of their beautiful game offense?

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Warriors have definitely had a string of luck concerning injuries.   2015 they played the Cavs in the finals without Love and Kyrie.  2017 they were getting blown out by the Spurs when Kawhi got hurt and missed the rest of the series.  This year down 3-2 to the Rockets and CP3 is probably done.  

Some Warriors fans are trying to compare Steph at certain times being banged up or Iggy missing the last two games of this series but there's nothing comparable about it.  

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It's not on the same level, but missing Iggy has clearly hurt them a lot the last two games. I think they'd have ended the series tonight if he hadn't gotten hurt.

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Injuries have absolutely ruined this entire season and post-season.

Feel bad for Chris Paul. One win away from a Finals and he may have to sit on the bench with his fingers crossed.

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3 hours ago, Brian Fowler said:

It's not on the same level, but missing Iggy has clearly hurt them a lot the last two games. I think they'd have ended the series tonight if he hadn't gotten hurt.

They have 4 all stars. I think they can handle it. Rockets are effectively without major minutes bench guys Ryan Anderson (ankle) and Luc Mbah a Moute (2nd separated shoulder injury this year) because of injury. And the Rockets only have one all star.

thats equal. Nobody had any sympathy for the Rockets missing Ryno or Luc, but got forbid Warriors are missing a guy who averages 6/3/3 a game.

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If missing Iggy at this stage of his career is enough to throw your team into disarray when your team still includes two MVP players, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green then your team is not built as well as advertised. I know Iggy can still be a good defensive player, but I'm not buying it, especially since James Harden has been shooting like me in an under 18 rec league (aka absolute trash). Someone is always injury /not healthy when the Warriors don't get done as if their opponent don't usually have key injuries  (Moute isn't 100 percent and Chris Paul hasn't been either). 

Not sure if It's a good move to sit Chris Paul for game 6, and take your chances in 7. It might be the right move but feels weird.

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Yeah, I'm sure it's a 100% complete coincidence they went from averaging 117 points a night in the first three games to 93 without him, and they're free flowing offense vanished.

Not to mention I specifically said it's not on the same level as Paul. But in a tough series against either the best or second best team in the league, losing a multidimensional role player who keeps the team clicking on both ends is a key issue. 

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I'm not saying I don't believe you. I mean I get how one can see the final score and Igoudala's injury and say "THIS caused THAT." And I do believe his absence hurt them.

But what I AM saying is that I need to see an X's and O's analysis of how Andre Igoudala keeps an offense run by Steph and KD, from falling apart. Why Andre Igoudala's absence results in them doubling their turnovers. I just want more than "Hey he's a good player, he's gone, and now they're losing, the correlation is clear."  Because if Iggy is actually the lynch pin that keeps the motor running then, honestly, those other four guys are fucking pathetic and should be ashamed.

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A huge part is he's a guy who can handle the ball and pass and he keeps it moving. It's not just "he's not there and they lost" it's "he's not there and they aren't running the same offense"

And, obviously, the Rockets deserve credit for playing the kind of defense they have. And Golden State looks tired which helps kill all that activity. But the ball stops a lot more without Iggy. And for a team built around the ball never stopping, it's a major issue.

And depth in general is an issue. Looney is deeply limited. Livingston doesn't look nearly as good as just two years ago. MgGee and Swaggy haven't contributed anything positive. 

They lost these two games by 3 and 4 points. You don't think having a much better defender, ball handler and passer in that fifth slot won't make up for that? 

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I honestly think Iguodala's absence is hurt more defensively than offensively. Draymond is a better point forward than Iguodala (though Andre is a very good passer too). They've betrayed their ball movement ethos in favour of way too much isolation in games 2-4 that works in spurts but when teams really look to lock it down in crunch time, it's much harder to continue to pile up points that way. They moved the ball around quite a bit in the 2nd and 3rd quarters but again relied too much on Durant/Curry iso plays. But bigger picture, there seems to be a weird uneasiness/jittery nature to their play. Terrible turnovers, guys look nervous and are making bad decisions (what the fuck was Livingston doing passing up a clean layup look for a Durant three?!). Rockets have it too, of course, but it's the two time champions that look like the perennial choke artists right now. Very weird. I still think they take it in 7, particularly now that Paul is probably out for a game 7 if it's necessary. 

CP3 picked apart the fifth man in the 3rd quarter last night on the switches. First West, then Looney, and even Livingston all got abused. That's where I think Iguodala would've helped the most in last night's game.

Also, the above is exactly why both coaches have limited their benches to a crazy degree but I still feel like you got to use more depth, particularly now when Harden's on the bench and there's no Paul to pick on weaker defenders. That determination to get to one guy with the switches is an interesting counter to the non-stop switching the Warriors and most teams roll out these days. Will they keep doing it or will we see a synthesis/something new?

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30 minutes ago, Brian Fowler said:

LeBron Fucking James, ladies and gentlemen

I think I may have said this before, but if LeBron was a Knick they would be playing the Celtics in a game 7 in a few days.

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